The present invention relates to a changer-type disk playback device capable of selectively playing back a plurality of disks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,591, Japanese Laid-open Publication Number 6-36436, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,657 disclose changer-type disk playback devices that allow a selected disk to be played back without requiring the disk to be pulled out from its storage position. In order to make the device compact, playback means, comprising an optical pickup, a turntable, and the like, is moved horizontally between a plurality of coaxially disposed disks.
These conventional examples comprise a magazine having a plurality of mounting plates. A disk is mounted on each of these mounting plates. The magazine can be attached and removed from the device. When this magazine is outside the device, a lock mechanism locks the mounting plates so that the mounting plates do not separate from each other. When the magazine is stored in the device, the lock mechanism is released by a prescribed lock releasing mechanism in the device. During disk playback, the mounting plates are moved in a direction perpendicular to the disk surfaces, thereby providing more space. Playback mechanisms positioned at recessed positions, such as a turntable and an optical pickup, are moved in the space created by moving the mounting plates to allow disks to be played back without requiring the disks to be pulled out from the magazine.
When disks not held in the magazine are to be played back, the magazine is removed from the device, and disks are removed from the magazine. Then, the disk to be played back is mounted in the magazine, and the magazine is remounted in the device. This makes operating the device complex. Thus, there is a need for this type of changer-type disk playback device to be equipped with a loading mechanism for loading a disk inserted from a slit formed on a front panel of the device into the device. The loading mechanism can be either a pinch-roller loading mechanism where the disk surface is interposed between a drive roller and a driven roller, or a belt loading mechanism where the edges of the disk are supported by a continuous drive belt disposed along a disk transfer path.
When a disk is to be stored in a storing position using a loading mechanism, a supporting means must be disposed to support the disk at the storing position. The supporting means can take on a variety of different structures. When the recording surface or label surface of disks are mounted on a mounting plate, as in the conventional technology described above, the disk can be damaged by the sliding contact between the disk surface and the mounting surface during the loading operation. In Japanese Laid-open Publication Number 9-17171, filed by the present applicant, an arcuate disk holder that supports the disk edge over approximately 180 degrees can be used. According to this disk supporting means, the sliding contact between the disk and the disk holder takes place only at the edge, where no data is recorded. Thus, even if the disk is scratched, there is no effect on playback.
During disk playback, the disk must be moved away from the disk holder so that the disk holder and the disk are out of contact with each other. If the disk holder is disposed close to the front panel of the device, the disk would project from the front panel when the disk is pulled out. Thus, the disk holder needs to be disposed further back in the device so that there is space between the front panel and the disk holder for the disk to be pulled out.